Cole County EMS paramedic Kelly Holman fell into her career in emergency medicine by accident.
Holman has been with the Cole County service for nearly a year but has been working in the EMS field since 2011, serving in the St. Louis area prior to coming to Central Missouri.
"I was a stay-at-home mom, and I was going to go to nursing school," Holman said. "I was waiting until both of my kids started going to school before I made that move, but I had a friend who encouraged me to go to school to become an emergency medical technician instead. It was a six-month course, and I fell in love with it. When my kids went to school, I started my job, and it's progressed ever since."
Being a paramedic is not always the easiest job in the world, Holman said.
"I like the challenge," she said. "I don't enjoy seeing people at their worst moments, but I like being there for people in their time of need."
Holman said an experience her grandparents had with ambulance personnel has stuck with her and influences how she approaches the situations she faces on the job.
"My grandparents were burnt badly, and my grandpa would cry when he talked about the time when paramedics came and saved his wife's life," Holman said. "That inspired me. I've never had to deal with paramedics walking into my house, but if I could bring that level of comfort to somebody else, I'm all for that. If I can help you on your worst day or moments, that's what I'm here for."
Not everybody can do this job, and Holman said she is "blessed" to be able to do it.
"It's not always the most glamorous job because many times I have sweat and dirt on my face or uniform, but when someone looks at you with the look in their eye that says, 'Thank you,' that's what it's all about," she said.
Other than having to take more precautions, such as wearing masks and or full protective suits, the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't changed the way she provides patient care, Holman said.
"Cole County is definitely different than working in St. Louis," she said. "I like the people here, and I enjoy it here."
Holman lives in Lincoln County, outside of St. Louis, and commutes an hour and a half to work in Cole County. She works 48-hour shifts, which is not unusual in EMS. The effort to find qualified paramedics has caused EMS services to adjust shift hours to allow personnel to work for ambulance services that are several miles from where they live.
"We need paramedics, and for a long time, when I started working in the St. Louis area, we had as many as three schools that were cranking them out left and right; and now it's just the opposite," she said. "If anyone has an interest in emergency medicine, we need them to get involved."
For Holman, her main goal in her job is to give back to the community.
"I really like the challenge," Holman said. "Let me figure this out so I can help you feel better."